


while you're protecting the world

by FaultyParagon



Series: Canon-Compliant/Canon-Rooted RWBY Fics [29]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Podfic Available, Podfic Length: 10-20 Minutes, Weiss Schnee Needs a Hug, Weiss Schnee-centric, Weiss and Winter deserve more bonding moments, did i tear up writing this? idk u tell me, teatime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26371363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaultyParagon/pseuds/FaultyParagon
Summary: Weiss and Winter have a talk over teatime. She’s always loved spending time with her older sister...It would be better if it wasn't going to all end someday.-Set during V7.
Relationships: Weiss Schnee & Winter Schnee
Series: Canon-Compliant/Canon-Rooted RWBY Fics [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815229
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	while you're protecting the world

**Author's Note:**

> Podfic is available to listen alongside the fic!  
> [Part 1](https://faultyparagonfiction.tumblr.com/post/628762783728664576/podfic-for-part-%C2%BD-of-while-youre-protecting-the) \- [Part 2](https://faultyparagonfiction.tumblr.com/post/628762982384631808/podfic-for-part-22-of-while-youre-protecting)

“You’re really going to become the Winter Maiden, aren’t you, Winter?” she breathes, the words carrying far more weight than either of them could ever understand in that one careless moment.

Winter glances upwards, her perfectly-groomed brow barely raising as she glances up over her Scroll to examine her younger sister. “Well… yes, that is indeed the plan. We’ve been over this, Weiss.” With calm and poise, she places her Scroll down and lifts the teacup to her lips, taking a sip of earl grey, the epitome of nonchalance.

It is stunning, the way Winter appears as Weiss looks at her now- finally _seeing_ her, in all her glory, as the proud, confident woman she was always meant to be. Winter has always been strong, yes; but now, as Weiss watches the light streaming in through the mess hall windows, falling upon her face, the thick pane casting shadows that do nothing to sully the radiance of her skin- the ethereal beauty of her sharp features- her cunning, analytical eyes- her hair coiffed perfectly back- the slight, warm smile hidden within quirked, restrained lips- not a thread out of place upon her uniform…

Winter Schnee is formidable, and intelligent, and beautiful. This is the woman who Weiss can call her older sister with nothing but pride and respect.

And Weiss is going to have to say goodbye one day.

“You’re going to have to give this all up one day, aren’t you?” she whispers, gesturing to the serene scene around her limply, the reality of it all crashing down upon her in one fell swoop as the peaceful chatter within the brightly-lit mess hall hits her ears. Distantly, her mind races; she does not understand why reflecting upon this is hurting her so deeply, why she cannot simply accept the fact which she has already been well-aware of since the Fall of Beacon.

After all, this is what had happened to Pyrrha. Weiss has long since resigned herself to the bleak truth of the Maidens- she had all of their trip across Anima to come to terms with it, after all. The Maidens must be separated, hidden away, in order to keep them safe from the hands of Salem. Salem cannot obtain the Maidens- cannot obtain the Relics. Winter will have to cut ties with everything and everyone in order to keep the world safe.

And yet, it is here and now, on a mundane Thursday afternoon when Winter and Weiss find a rare moment to sit and chat idly about banal things in their separate, yet irrevocably intertwined lives, that Weiss truly understands that becoming a Maiden is not simply adopting powers beyond comprehension. It is not to become a protector of the world, a guardian of the peace.

Becoming a Maiden means losing _everything._

Winter’s eyes narrow imperceptibly. “I’m well aware of that, Weiss,” she replies, voice mild and even. “It is with informed consent that I accept my duty.”

“But- but _Winter-_ “ Weiss scrabbles for words to say, finding nothing but dead air and a twisted, mangled napkin clutched painfully-tight between her fingers, “you-“

Winter puts down her teacup, setting it upon porcelain so lightly the impact is barely audible. “Weiss, you’re going to have to be clearer if I’m going to understand,” she chuckles ruefully.

Weiss sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose tiredly. “I just- you’re okay with this?”

“When I took you down there, I told you I was fine with it. I’m not sure what would have changed,” the elder muses wryly, a smile blooming upon her lips. She reaches out and places the back of her hand upon Weiss’ forehead, a rare, tender gesture; Weiss freezes when she feels that touch, the back of her eyes burning for just a moment before she blinks it away.

Winter concludes, “Besides, even if I’ll likely have to go into hiding, I’m not worried.” The pride in her voice breaks Weiss’ heart in a way that she cannot put to words, but it is enough to make her throat tighten and her heart seize, stomach falling leaden to her heels, leaving her empty, disoriented, as Winter strikes the finishing blow. “You’ll be fine without me. You’ve become a capable Huntress, after all.”

Weiss’ mouth opens, closes. She stops, starts, stops again, brows furrowing so tightly upon her brow that she wonders whether they will affix permanently this way; she cannot relax, though, cannot unclench, for the words in her mouth are too bitter, too sour, too _painful-_ for before this strange wave of emotion, she has never even conjured them into being, and yet they feel more _right_ than anything else she has ever thought in the world, and that idea itself is _horrifying._

“You’re right,” Weiss murmurs at last, looking down at the mangled napkin clenched tightly between her short-trimmed nails. “I will be fine. I’m a good Huntress, just like you said.”

“Then… what’s the issue?”

Slowly, Weiss lifts her head, eyes watering properly despite her desperate attempt to blink them away. “But Winter, what if I don’t want ‘fine’?”

Her older sister simply stares at her, clearly lost; pale eyes narrow in judgement, in confusion, in concern.

In discomfort.

Weiss swallows, but the knot in her throat won’t budge. “We’ve been living with just ‘fine’ for so long, but… what if I want ‘good’? What if I want something better, something more than just… apathy?”

She winces before she even hears the words, already knowing what Winter will say. “That’s… an incredibly selfish, childish-“

“I know!” Weiss cries, tossing her napkin at the elder, much to Winter’s chagrin. Weiss doesn’t care that it is improper, though- she just needs a distraction from the fact that her voice is cracking, her heart breaking, too overwhelmed by feelings she is in no way ready to process. “I know it’s childish- and I know you probably want me to smile, and wish you luck.” She smiles, lips quivering at the very thought of watching Winter enter the Aura transferral pod by Fria’s side. “When it happens… I will, I promise.”

Winter clasps her hands together upon the table, shifting to lean forward, lean closer to her. “Then, what is the problem?” she asks, incredulous now.

“Until that day,” Weiss breathes, “I’m going to be sad about it. I’m not going to smile and say ‘good luck’, Winter- not until that day comes.”

The elder is genuinely confused, clearly unsure of how to react to Weiss’ sudden emotionality. “But why?”

And Weiss laughs, and laughs, and laughs, her chuckles spilling forth garbled and grey, humourless in their bleak, depressing truth, for Weiss cannot think of a better way to say this, to explain this feeling welling up in her chest with such ferocity it feels like it shall tear out of her.

She knows this will break Winter. She cannot keep it inside, though.

Voice quavering, she whispers, “Because ‘fine’ is life on my own, with my teammates. We’ve made it thus far. We’re fine. But… more than that, though?” She reaches out surreptitiously, cupping Winter’s hands within her own. “Winter, more than that is having my big sister with me, too.” She hates how much she crumbles as she adds, “You have no idea how wonderful it’s been to be able to be with you like this, Winter. To be by your side.”

For a long moment, Winter simply looks at her, eyes wide and startled, taking in Weiss’ sudden breakdown. And then, her lip wobbles, her head ducks down, and Winter- her incredible, powerful, admirable, commanding older sister- _begins to cry._

It is not much- just a few singular tears which roll down quickly swiped away by a hand which pulls free from Weiss’ almost reluctantly, but those tears are the first bits of true, unabashed emotion which Weiss has ever seen on Winter’s face, and she is struck by something even more painful, even more gut-wrenching, than her previous realization; that Winter… is just a human. Just a person, just a girl who has gone through so many of the same, terrible traumas as Weiss, and has still come out so strong and unyielding, and the idea that such an incredible woman is someone who loves Weiss so unconditionally _destroys her._

She sniffles, looking out of the window. The quad outside is lovely- cultivated garden surrounded by turf, for this part of Atlas is too cold for naturally-luscious green grass- but the entire thing is mosaicked amidst the tears welling up in her eyes, turning the world into naught but colour and shape and form without definition.

Winter, through her tears, looks so _small,_ and it hurts more than anything Weiss has ever seen before, to witness Winter’s weakness like this. And yet, it is also endearing, humbling.

One day, Weiss hopes to be as wonderful as Winter.

“You left home,” Weiss says quietly once her breathing has been controlled, even just slightly, “so I followed, Winter. But now, becoming a Maiden isn’t exactly something I can follow in-“ and she pauses, snorting at the mental image as she jokes weakly, “-unless I somehow end up the Summer Maiden or something-“

“You get a sunburn by looking at pictures of the beach, Weiss-“

“Wow, hi pot, I’m kettle,” Weiss groans, rolling her eyes. She is not upset, though, sending her sister a warbling grin which, much to her surprise, is returned with just as much affection and devotion.

After a few wry chuckles and a few more sips of tea, the two women straightening themselves out and sneakily checking their reflections in the window to ensure they look presentable to the rest of the mess hall, Weiss smiles, leaning her head against the glass. “But,” she murmurs, almost dreamily, “it’s okay if you become a Maiden, you know. It’s okay. Even if you have to say goodbye to everyone.”

Winter smiles, a sense of peace coming over her. “And why’s that?”

Weiss shrugs, the conviction rising within her heart almost startling in its intensity. “Because I’m part of the inner circle. I’ll know where you’ve gone. And while you’re protecting the world, I’ll protect you.”

Winter can only look down, picking up her teacup, eyes looking into the vessel, nostalgia painting over pale irises. “Tell me: when did you grow up to be like this, Weiss?” Winter breathes.

Weiss retrieves her own cup and saucer, raising the rim to her lips. “The moment I realized what I needed to do to be with my big sister,” she responds simply. “You and me- we’ll change the world for the better, with or without the Schnees.”

Winter takes a sip, then lets out a long, contented sigh, raising her chin, looking up into the sky. She is striking, Weiss thinks; the very sight of her profile makes Weiss so unfathomably proud to be Winter’s younger sister.

“I like that, little sister,” Winter murmurs. “You and me.”

Earl grey, one sugar, no milk. Their teacups match. It’s a little thing, but Weiss cherishes it now, more than ever.

**_-fin-_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
